Pani movie review: Actor Joju George’s debut directorial begins in a slightly Tarantinoesque manner, following two youngsters — Don Sebastian (Sagar Surya) and Siju KT (Junaiz VP) — as they go through a day in their seemingly uneventful lives. They work at a motorcycle repair shop run by an elderly man in Thrissur, Kerala, and both appear quite naive and laid-back. On this particular day, after spending some time at the shop, working, they head out to begin their 15-day ‘vacation’. With a carefree attitude, they wander around the city. Meanwhile, Pani (which literally means “work,” but is also used to refer to an action or event that is orchestrated to harm someone) also lets the setting grow progressively bigger, reminiscent of Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur movies (2012) and Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Angamaly Diaries (2017), with more characters entering the stage, all building towards a pivotal incident that will forever change the characters’ lives.
Through dialogues, Joju also introduces the viewers to the city and those who call the shots there. As Don and Siju traverse the crowded streets, they encounter a man and immediately strike up a conversation with him regarding a land deal. When the man refuses to cooperate, they murder him in broad daylight on a crowded footpath, yet ensuring no passersby notices. They then leave his body in an abandoned ATM kiosk, revealing that the murder was premeditated and that Don and Siju carried out the killing in exchange for money, marking this as the first Pani (a term also used to describe crimes carried out by quotation gangs) in the narrative.
“Fear is a reaction; courage is a decision,” Pani begins by displaying this quote, widely attributed to Winston Churchill. The decision to feature these words, believed to have been spoken by the notorious (late) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as the film’s intro is intriguing as soon, we realize that the quote doesn’t refer to the protagonists alone — it reflects the common mindset of all the characters in the narrative, including the villains.
Thrissur is ruled by Giri (Joju George) and his three friends (played by Prashanth Alexander, Sujith Shankar and Bobby Kurian). Having forged their friendship in college, the group continues to share a close relationship in both their personal and professional lives. Despite numerous cases against them, they remain untouchable and carry on with their daily lives in plain sight, unconcerned with the police or their rivals.
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In the first scene featuring Giri himself, Joju establishes his character in two ways — first, by displaying his overwhelming love for his wife Gauri (Abhinaya) and the strong bond they share; and second, by showcasing his influence in the city, as he receives a call from a friend seeking a favor, just like Don Vito Corleone’s (Marlon Brando) intro scene in The Godfather (1972). Joju’s narrative approach, which contrasts with the usual style of presenting the drama before the crime (the murder by Don and Siju), sets a distinctive tone for the film, allowing the writer-director to gradually build the world of Pani and introduce the key players, setting the stage for a do-or-die battle. While the world-building and character introductions in the first act are solid, suggesting that Joju and team are on track to deliver an outstanding actioner, Pani’s script falters very soon and begins bombarding viewers with stale moments, incidents and dialogues, ultimately diminishing the impact. , leaving the film unimpressive.
Soon, Don and Siju are thrust into the same tired tropes that have been overused by makers to conveniently portray villains as pure evil — by depicting them as perverts and molesters. The plot takes a turn when Don gropes Gauri, leading Giri to beat them up. Humiliated and enraged over being beaten up, Don and Siju decide to seek revenge. And what do they do? Yep, you guessed it right: they rape the woman. Because, what else can easily ensure that the viewers’ blood also boils as much as the characters’? Thus, what began as a crime actioner quickly turns into a stereotypical revenge tale, where men battle over a woman’s ‘lost dignity.’ While the depiction of sexual violence isn’t as extreme or insensitive as in films like Vettaiyan or Christopherwriter-director Joju uses it to conveniently justify the plot and distract from its lack of depth.
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As the movie progresses, Don and Siju go on the run, while Giri and his team — backed by almost the entire city of Thrissur — go on the hunt for them. Along the way, several characters overstay their welcome, while others — such as Giri’s mother Devaki (Seema), his cousin and police officer Kalyani (Chandini Sreedharan) and the wife (Abhaya Hiranmayi) of Bobby Kurian’s character — are discarded or forgotten, despite their importance to the narrative, further highlighting the aimlessness in the script. The poorly written dialogues make matters worse and often come across as silly. From Devaki’s ‘advice’ to Gauri after the rape to the conversation between the characters played by Prashanth Alexander and Sujith Shankar at the hospital, following the death of one of their friends — many moments that should have elevated the film fall flat due to subpar writing. .
At the same time, Joju also conveniently sidesteps providing answers in many situations, which highlights the lack of research and effort put into the script. For instance, how did Don and Siju manage to enter Giri and Gauri’s house, where they committed the crime? How did they escape after falling into a river with strong currents? Despite showing no remorse and having committed heinous acts, including rape and shooting someone dead at point blank, why did they spare the characters played by Prashanth Alexander and Seema after attacking them? How did someone, with a sniper, enter a court complex and shoot Don and Siju? How were they kidnapped from the hospital? While a film doesn’t have to spoon-feed its audiences and should leave enough dots for viewers to connect, the omission of such key details can only be dubbed as lazy writing.
Nevertheless, what partially redeems Pani is Joju’s impressive directorial skills, complemented by the contributions of the technical crew. While Pani may not rank among “some of the best Korean new wave films,” as Anurag Kashyap claimed prior to its release, it certainly delivers some jaw-dropping moments with its stunning visuals and high-octane energy. Unlike typical crime actioners, including many recent ones, which tend to follow a similar style — except for films like Amal Neerad’s Big B (2007) and Bachelor Party (2012) — Joju approaches Pani in a distinctive, unique way. His directorial talents shine in scenes featuring large crowds, particularly during the moments leading up to Don and Siju’s kidnapping from the hospital and the shooting in the court. The encounters between Giri and the villain duo are also striking, thanks to Joju’s skillful tension-building and portrayal of their friction without showing them locking horns physically. Had the writing been stronger, Pani could have been a significant addition to Malayalam cinema and might have been mentioned alongside classic gangster films like Kauravar (1992), Rajavinte Makan (1986), Black (2004) and Samrajyam (1990).
Joju’s commanding screen presence has saved yet another film. It’s doubtful if any other actors, aside from superstars Mammootty and Mohanlalpossess such a commanding screen presence and vocal impact as Joju does. His portrayal of Giri also stands out as it diverges from his recent typecast as a grey-shaded middle-aged man with deep-seated traumas. Abhinaya seamlessly brings Gauri to life, skillfully conveying the character’s varied emotions with great finesse. Joju and Abhinaya’s moments together are also heartwarming. The chemistry between Sagar and Junaiz, which gained much recognition Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 5enhances their characters without needing explanations for their bond, as their shared nature of cold-blooded criminals is enough. While Sagar delivers a strong performance as the perverted and manipulative antagonist, Junaiz’s portrayal of the inexpressive psycho falls short in several areas, relying heavily on their chemistry for impact. Abhaya Hiranmayi and Bobby Kurian also shine in their roles, while Prashanth Alexander makes an impression, even though his character lacks depth.
Vishnu Vijay and Sam CS’s music deserves commendation, as does Manu Antony’s editing. However, the cinematography, which faced significant controversies during Pani’s production, often misses the mark. Ajayan Adat’s sound design is also impressive. While Dinesh Subbarayan’s stunt choreography is solid, the film does not fully capitalize on it due to a lack of action sequences.
Pani movie cast: Joju George, Abhinaya, Sagar Surya, Junaiz VP, Abhaya Hiranmayi
Pani movie director: Joju George
Pani movie rating: 2.5 stars